December 2021- Compassion Group Notes
What is Sin? What is Pride?
Sin is those attitudes and behaviors that separate us from God’s love - the essence of our own true nature. When we do not act out of love for ourselves, others and God, in harmony and in accordance with the will of God, then we feel shame, and remove ourselves from God’s presence and are alienated from our own true nature.
The Sin of Pride - The Formats on How to Own and Take Responsibility for Defenses that Harm Yourself and Others, in you and others
“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.
Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, and humility”. ~Mandela
“There is a universal respect and even admiration for those who are humble and simple by nature, and who have absolute confidence in all human beings irrespective of their social status.” ~Nelson Mandela
"If you are humble, you are no threat to anybody. Some behave in a way that dominates others. That's a mistake. If you want the cooperation of humans around you, you must make them feel they are important—and you do that by being genuine and humble. You know that other people have qualities that may be better than your own. Let them express them." ~Nelson Mandela
In my younger days, I was arrogant—jail helped me to get rid of it. I did nothing but make enemies because of my arrogance. ~Nelson Mandela
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” ~C.S. Lewis
“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.” ~ C.S. Lewis
Excellent blog site - lots of food for thought:
https://thefearlessheart.org/from-exchange-to-gifting-part-two-beyond-the-exchange-gift-binary/#more-32212
Gathering Light for Winter
When you have no words for the wounds.
When your body is as hollowed out and dark
as a jack-o-lantern
in November.
When you have lost your north, your south,
your east and your west
stay still.
Words for the pain are forming
beneath the skin of your patience.
Your body is gathering light for winter.
Your compass is emerging through water.
Sometimes dying is the only way to live again.
It may take all your stories away.
It may hunt and kill your pride
so you are left with nothing
but questions and space
howling into the night
What next? What now? What for?
This is when grace
pours her warm milk
into your wounds
and advises you to rest.
To steal the secrets of sorrow
and learn her heavy song
so that you can become an instrument
of resilience, turning ever forward
with more than you were born with.
For isn't holding hands with sorrow
a bridge?
Dying while you are still alive
birthing your next self
and courageously
beginning anew. ~Jeanette Encinias
